The Lost Shinigami
by Penmansheep
Summary: There had always been a story in soul society which remained untold and which was erased in history. But after a century of being hidden, the story is finally unfolded by the secret itself who was said to be the grandchild of Yamamoto Genryuusai. OCxBya
1. Midnight Rain

**DISCLAIMER: I will never own bleach even if pigs did fly. **

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><p><strong>One. Midnight Rain<strong>

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><p>Across the deserts of hell surrounded by nightfall, there stood a woman with blood covering half of her face, dripping all over her body and her sword, with a red sea of dead hollows laying beneath where she stands.<p>

She was the perfect image of misery, suffering and death, along with her crimson hair that appeared to be fiery flames under the moonlight and with the presence and reiatsu of hers which only meant death.

She was staring at nowhere in particular, for the only thing that mattered for her was the feeling of her heart beating and the gradual pain of her wounds that burnt on her flesh which only reminded her that here she was, alive and continuing what she must do. Other than that, there was another significant thing that assured her that she mustn't die, and that was the presence of her sword within the grasps of her hand, reminding her the principle carved to her soul:

Kill, or be killed.

Seconds, minutes, hours and days have passed as she stood there, waiting for a hollow to come after her and waiting for her to slay it. She never kept in mind how many had she killed, or how long had she have been swinging her sword and spilling blood. She didn't even mind where she was and how she got there especially at this moment where she found herself in the middle of a desert where an endless number of hollows and arrancars appear out of nowhere. This was how her life works, an endless battle of life and death.

But it was what she needed. A place where she could get stronger, and a place that would remind her that if she continued to become the weak person she was before, then she might as well be killed.

She grasped her sword and wiped the blood stain on it with her left hand as she sensed another arrancar coming from behind her.

"Ignite, Amaterasu."

The second her mouth stopped moving, her blade transformed into flames and she flash stepped behind the enemy who was charging to attack behind her back.

"What a coward, planning on attacking a lady unprepared?" She whispered mockingly at the enemy's ear before slashing its back and bursting it into flames.

The arrancar fell on its knees and screamed painfully as the fire slowly swallowed it whole.

"Damn you shinigami! You're gonna pay! And I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" The arrancar shouted, desperately trying to charge towards the woman.

"You're a hundred years too early for someone like you to kill me you lowlife. And by the way, that's EX-shinigami for you." The woman said out of boredom, placing the the tip of her sword, which returned to its original form, on the sand using it for support as she made no move towards the approaching arrancar in flames.

"Bye bye." She waved her hand lazily, expecting the enemy to turn into ashes in any moment. But suddenly she felt something fall on her face coming from the sky.

She scowled, touching something wet on her forehead and by the time she faced heavenward she blinked at the droplets of water touching her face and falling everywhere.

"Shit."

Immediately, she returned her gaze to her opponent, shocked at the turn of events after all it was the first time she experienced rainfall on a desert. The arrancar wasn't in front of her anymore and the rain really wasn't helping her sight the enemy.

Suddenly she felt a disturbance on the rain on her right side, and after a second a deadly punch almost hit her if she hadn't dodged immediately.

"Double shit." She muttered unconsciously at the sight her enemy. The arrancar was now fully healed, the wound on its back has recovered and there wasn't even a trace of burnt on its hideous body because of the sudden rainfall.

"Rain plus regeneration. How lucky." She said sarcastically positioning herself to finish it off when suddenly her hand felt empty.

The arrancar laughed boisterously as he held her zanpakutou, swinging it repeatedly on the rain.

"Looking for this? I didn't know you shinigamis were this stupid! This time I will be the one killing you!"

_Triple shit. Way to go, I truly picked the perfect time to be stupid. And now I'm being ridiculed by this idiot._ The woman thought grudgingly to herself. She wiped the rain on her face and sighed.

"That's it. Time to finish this off before my zanpakutou kills me for forgetting her. Now, mind if I show you how to kill someone like you bare-handed?"

Before the arrancar even had the chance to answer, the woman disappeared in front of him. He held the sword tightly, anticipating for the shinigami's attack and using the rain to sense her but unfortunately the woman was too fast for his own good.

Her fist came flying in front of him so fast that the only thing the arrancar was able to process was the cracking of his mask at the extreme force that hit him and the red liquid that was falling across his eyes. After half a second another punch hit him on the head and this time he felt its aftershock. He choked his own breath because of the tremendous pain but despite all of that he took the chance to lock in place the shinigami's arm with his left hand.

"Ha! I finally caught you damn shinigami!" He yelled as he pierced the woman's zanpaktou through her body but the sword came to a sudden halt.

The woman held the blade with both of her hands causing it to bleed yet she was unaffected by it.

"I want to thank you for returning my sword." She smiled at the arrancar who was frozen in fear and in the verge of death. "And I truly hope that this is our last farewell.

Ignite, Amaterasu."

In the sight of the arrancar, the last thing that he saw was the perfect image of hell. It burned like hell and it hurt like hell as well. As soon as the woman released her shikai, her copper red hair burned like fire and her eyes were fiery gold. The sight caused him immobility, disabling him to take his hands off the handle of the burning zanpakutou.

And even under the endless rain, her fire burned like hell.

The rain didn't stand a chance against her wrath.

The arrancar could barely speak as the fire enveloped him. He would want to at least know the name of the person who killed him, the person who killed an ex-espada who treated their battle as easy as playing a game.

"What is your name shinigami?"

The woman watched her enemy fall beneath her and for a second, she hesitated if it was right to give her name or not.

Though, after having a debate in her mind, she let her conscience win over her even if it means giving the name she cursed and hated the most. After all, it was that name which caused her to live a miserable life. It was the name that caused her heart to ache every time she remembers it.

"Akane. I am Yamamoto Akane."

With her last words, the ex-espada turned into ashes and it became one with the sands of the desert. The rain showed no sign of stopping, leaving her to suffer in pain that the rain was giving her.

"Forgive me arrancar, I lied. I said I shall kill you without my sword yet in the end, I broke my word. It's all because I hated the rain so much that I let my anger conquer my mind. Forgive me."

She looked heavenwards, feeling the rain kiss her face and making her feel helpless and weak. She despised the rain so much and upon looking at the dark sky, the midnight rain pierced through her heart and she felt her world stop for a second, letting her hand drop her sword.

Suddenly she lost the ability to breath and she felt as if the rain was drowning her with endless pain. She fell on her knees, and she desperately and blindly looked for her zanpakutou and as soon as she got a hold of Amaterasu she clenched its blade with all her might to replace the pain of her heart with the pain of her wound. After that she found herself choking for her life wondering what the hell happened but she herself already knew the answer to her question.

Her grandfather was hurt.

Other than that she knew nothing more, except the fact that the excruciating pain she just felt was the exact pain her grandfather's suffering right now.

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><p><em>Author's note:<em>

_**AKANE -Japanese name meaning brilliant red.**_

_About akane's zanpakutou:_

_**AMATERASU: Japanese name composed of the elements ama "heaven, sky" and terasu "to shine," hence "shining over heaven." In mythology, this is the name of a sun goddess who rules the heavens.**_

_Hey fanfiction and bleach peeps! Just wanted you to know that if you reached up to here, I truly appreciate and thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my first ever fanfiction. I don't even know if it's worth the read but anyway, please don't be harsh on me and please constructive criticism only. Please Don't break my poor writer's heart! Ahahaha xD I'm too addicted to bleach and I am planning on continuing this whether people are reading this or not because bleach gave me too much of a hangover and I am desperately in need of releasing it all through this fanfic. Again thanks thanks thanks for your time and if it's not much of a bother please review! :)  
><em>


	2. Grief and Sorrow

**DISCLAIMER: It aches my heart to say this, but sadly, I do not own Bleach. ;(**

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><p><strong>Two. Grief and Sorrow<strong>

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><p><em>That old man can't possibly get hurt. It cannot be. It's impossible. He just can't.<em>

Yamamoto Akane recited this in her head like a mantra. She laid on her knees in the middle of the desert, the blood stained sand beneath her with her hands holding onto her zanpakutou so tight as if her life depended on it. She forced her eyes to shut, trapping any tears planning to escape as she felt the pain linger in her heart as well as on the wound of her palm.

The rain covered her whole body, and she couldn't determine whether it were tears falling down her cheeks or whether it was her blood or the rain she felt spilling down her hands. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop herself from trembling.

She cursed herself in her mind. She kept on asking herself, how can she be this weak? What exactly had she been desperately doing this past century?

All this time she fought like a madman, recklessly fighting, battling, and killing enemies just for the sake of becoming stronger. But now, she looked at herself and she saw the weak and helpless child she was before. Was there even a change that happened to her from the time she ran away from soul society? Was she still the grandchild of Yamamoto Genryuusai who brought nothing but shame and disgrace to his name?

She didn't know. She truly didn't know what to think anymore except the fact that her life was slowly crumbling into pieces as she thought of her grandfather she deeply loved and intensely hated being badly hurt. She couldn't even make herself think about the possibility that he could be close to his death. She lived her life for the sole purpose of being able to be rightfully called his granddaughter. She distanced herself from him, being afraid of disappointing him once more as she promised herself that one day, she will return and she will not be the weak Yamamoto anymore, the one who didn't know how to protect anyone even herself . That was what kept her living. Though now as she felt the excruciating pain her grandfather suffered, she felt lost and her hatred towards him intensified even more.

"Damn you old man. I can't believe that even right now you're still haunting me." She unconsciously muttered as she tightened her grip on her sword.

She remembered how merciless her grandfather had been towards her because of her weakness. After all, Soul Society's Captain-commander never did become gentle to anyone and even his granddaughter was no exception to it. What he saw from her disappointed him, and he found it unacceptable for the Yamamoto name. He spoke words as sharp as blades to her grandchild's weakness yet it did no good to her except crush her. He treated her not as a child, not as his granddaughter, but as a Yamamoto who must live up to the expectations of protecting Soul Society with all her might, which she was unable to fulfill.

She had all the power she could have flowing into her blood, yet unfortunately her body, heart and soul was unable to wield this power for she neither had the conviction nor the strength to control it. And by the time she lost all hope, she decided to run away, unable to take any more of it. Because of her careless decision, Yamamoto Genryuusai spoke words to her that eternally pierced her heart and until now it continued to echo in her mind.

_"You have disappointed me Akane, I never thought that you were a coward. Very well, begone from here! Soul Society does not have a place for cowards! You had all of the opportunity and power within your grasps yet because of your lack of conviction and determination, you threw it all into waste! As a Yamamoto, your action is unacceptable therefore you shall receive punishment. I shall place a seal upon that power so that you may suffer and learn how hard it is to strive for strength."_

Each word stabbed like daggers, and no matter how she tried to forget what her grandfather said, she couldn't. The punishment she received, was accepted by her with no argument for she understood the consequences of what she had done. She also understood what the seal meant, the seal that left a mark on her back in order to suppress her powers. It reminded her about the power Yamamoto Genryuusai didn't believe she deserved to have, and she was willing to strive and live her life with that curse. And by the time that she left Soul Society, Yamamoto Akane was forgotten. Even after a hundred years, she remained to be a story untold, and no one ever heard from her since then.

If there was something Akane regretted from the past, it was the fact that she had given up easily and doing nothing against her weakness. She never did try to fight for anything, for she believed that her Grandfather would be there to fight for her and protect her. But most of all the one thing she regretted the most was not being able to understand her grandfather, and not being able to understand what Yamamoto Genryuusai desired for his grandchild.

Akane slowly opened her eyes as she felt the rainfall subdue above her. The rain truly brought nothing to her but misery and she was glad that it ended because she has finally made her decision.

"Yama-jii you can't die on me, not after making me suffer like this. I haven't even shown you how much I changed, old man." She spoke without a trace of fear and pain as if he was there right in front of her. She stood up and she began concentrating her reiatsu on her right hand as she prepared to perform a kidou spell. She had already decided the one thing that she must do, and that is to assure herself of her grandfather's situation. She needed to see it for herself.

"Trespass to the Realm of Time and Space."

As soon as she said the incantation she swung her right hand horizontally opening a gateway towards another dimension. It was a kidou teleportation spell that she created herself though she was quite aware of its imperfection. The only flaw with this spell was that by the time she reaches the Real World, there was a possibility that time lag might occur ranging from a week, or worst case scenario, which is a month or even more. She really didn't mind it much, because somehow something inside of her assured her that her Grandfather was alive. And she knew that the best thing she could do right now was to trust her gut.

"Stupid Kidou spell. Please don't fail me too much this time." Akane grumbled as she entered the gateway leading to Urahara Shop.

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><p><em>AN: Hello again bleach and fanfiction peeps! Again, if you reached up to here, all I can say is that I LOVE YOU! :)) And thank you so much for your time and effort in reading this fanfic. It truly means a lot to me. And btw, I would like to double thank the people who liked, reviewed and favorited my story! THANK YOU SO MUCH I appreciated it and you really really really made my day! thank you again! :D  
><em>

_~lost_feather: hi there! I really don't know how to reply to your message but anyway I'll just place it here :D I would just like to say thank you so much and I'm really really really glad that you liked my story. Oh if you only knew how happy I was when I read your review! anyway thanks again and yes I'm kind of planning on inserting romance in it and I kind of want it to be with Byakuya because I love his character so much! Again, a million thanks to you lost_feather! :D_


	3. Deception

**DISCLAIMER: I really hate repeating this again and again. This is absolutely torture! I told you I will never own Bleach!**

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><p><strong>Three. Deception<strong>

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><p>Upon stepping on the gateway, Akane sighed heavily, silently wishing to the Spirit King that the time lag the kidou spell provided doesn't come to its worst. She watched her surroundings gradually change from the deserts of hell to the skies of Karakura Town and after a minute she found herself landing on a rooftop of a building near the Urahara shop.<p>

Her feet touched the ground gracefully and she inhaled the fresh air of the real world and snorted when she smelled the rusty smell of blood that stained her clothes and skin. She frowned at her barbaric appearance thinking how the heck would she be able to face her childhood friends for the first time after a century with how she looked right now. She sighed as she tried somehow to make herself presentable.

Akane closed her eyes and cherished the sunlight touching her face. She really did adore the sun very much, after all her zanpakutou was Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun. She loved being under the sunlight because the heat emitted by it strengthens her whenever she releases her zanpakutou. She never felt so united with Amaterasu except in broad daylight.

Looking down at the Urahara Shop, she sensed five reiatsus in the establishment and recognized three of them. The thought of meeting those people after more than a hundred years frightened her. She was nervous, because she didn't know how to face them or what to say after she left Soul Society without a word and without a trace.

But she knew that she had to face them one day and the time has come for her to do that. She just hoped that somehow it would be a peaceful reunion, and not a deadly one.

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><p>It was a start of another boring and customerless day at the Urahara shop. Well what can you really expect from a run down candy slash soul society item store? Jinta thought lazily as he continued his hobby of bullying Ururu while she swept the floor outside the entrance of the shop.<p>

"Jinta-kun, Tessai-san will get mad if he founds out you're not sweeping." Ururu gently said to him as she paused from work.

"Shut-up Ururu! As if I'm afraid of Tessai!" Jinta angrily retorted, pointing his broom towards her.

"But you are cleaning because you're scared of Tessai-san right?" She questioned the hot-tempered boy in front of her.

Jinta suddenly snapped and denied her accusation angrily as he swept his broom on Ururu's head. "I'm not scared! You're annoying as ever Ururu! You're below me!"

Ururu covered her head and gently reasoned out, "That's not right! I'm three years older than you, ow!"

"Way of Binding Number One, Restrain."

Both of them were surprised when they heard someone cast a bakudo spell especially Jinta who found his hands locked behind his back. A woman appeared in front of them, with her hazel eyes and copper red hair shining under the sunlight that perfectly contrasted her pale white skin. She was wearing a sleeveless shinigami robe with a white obi around her waist, black arm covers on both of her hands and a dark red scarf wrapped around her neck.

The woman wore a blank expression, but when her eyes met Jinta's, he didn't know why he suddenly had the urge to be afraid. He thought of it as crazy and he suddenly remembered what the woman did to him.

"What the hell old hag? Why did you do that to me you stupid lady? Take this spell off me ugly woman!" Jinta exploded as he struggled to let himself free.

The woman felt three of her nerves pop when she heard the boy's consecutive insults towards her. She really was no good in handling kids so she decided that it was better to just ignore the boy before things get worse.

She walked towards the girl in front of her and patted her head. "You shouldn't let this stupid boy bully you ojou-san, or else he might get used to it." Ururu looked at her and she noticed the woman's soft expression towards her.

"May I speak with the people inside?" The woman asked, glancing at the entrance of the shop. Ururu wondered which of them she meant but then nodded and led her inside while the two of them left the shouting angry Jinta behind.

"What the heck? Ururu! Don't you dare let that old hag go inside! She's evil I tell you! Can't you see what she did to me?" Jinta called behind her while attempting to break himself free but the two of them simply ignored him. Ururu slid the door open and revealed Tessai who was carrying a load of boxes.

"Ururu, it's too early for opening hours." Tessai said, carrying the boxes which are blocking his view. When he sensed an unfamiliar yet familiar reiatsu other than Jinta and Ururu's, he cocked his head on the side to glance at them. What he saw caused him to drop the boxes he was carrying in shock.

Tessai's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost, and his mouth hanged open, making him completely speechless. Ururu and Jinta were alarmed at Tessai's reaction then suddenly, he dropped into his knees and lowered his head, forming a bow to the woman in front of him.

"A- Akane-sama, you have finally returned." Tessai found it difficult to speak, unable to compose himself for he was too overwhelmed.

Akane gave an apologetic smile to Tessai, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at the familiar man she had seen one hundred years ago.

"Stupid Tessai, say _-sama_ again and I'll kill you." Akane said jokingly as she embraced the huge man kneeling on the floor.

Jinta, who didn't know what the hell was happening, was too shocked that he even forgot about his restrained hands behind him. He saw the mighty Tessai cry dramatically, a river of tears falling from his eyes and it confused him even more. _Who the heck is this Akane-sama?_ He frustratingly asked himself.

"Akane-sama, please wait a moment. I shall wake up the owner right away." Tessai said, wiping his overly dramatic tears under his glasses as he led Akane inside the tea room. She instinctively smacked Tessai's head upon hearing the honorific he used.

"Tessai, I told you, just call me Akane please? And I don't really deserve being called sama especially by you." She argued as she took a seat.

"Hai, Akane-sama." She was about to smack Tessai again when suddenly the door slid open exposing a yawning Urahara.

"G'd mornin' Tessai, Jinta, Ururu! What's the commotion all about in this early morning?" Urahara Kisuke mumbled, wiping his hazy eyes. As soon as his vision cleared up, he noticed a red-haired lady staring at him and sitting in his tea room.

Urahara thought that she looked somehow familiar, awfully too familiar actually, and as soon as he realized why she looked very very much familiar, he shut the sliding door in front of him. He opened it again, expecting that he was only daydreaming but he only found the very same awfully familiar face once again. He shut the door, and opened it again. She was still there. He shut the door, opened it again, and she was still there, now glaring at him, and looking very very pissed.

"My, my, I need to go back to sleep. I think I'm hallucinating, I'm starting to see ghosts." Urahara muttered scratching his chin as he wondered why he was seeing things. Suddenly, Akane felt her eye twitch at his comment preceded by the popping of her veins at his performance a while ago. She was pissed. She was very very pissed.

She stood up while on the verge of exploding. "U-RA-HA-RA... WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING GHOST YOU DUMBASS?" Akane growled, charging at the man by the door and delivering a clean kick on his face. Urahara fell on the floor and he started to see stars.

"Ghost? You thought I was a ghost, you dumbass? Kisuke, did you really thought I was dead?" Akane demanded, with anger manifested in her words and sadness visible in her eyes as she looked down at him who was lying on the floor. Urahara watched his childhood friend's expression change from anger to hurt, and he immediately regretted making her sad. He stood up and gave her genuine smile which only showed how relieved he was that she was here right now.

"Akane, It's really you. I'm really glad that you're safe." He said as he hugged her tight, finally believing that she really was the childhood friend he last saw in the past. Akane sniffed as she tried very hard not to cry.

"But you can't really blame me for calling you a ghost. Whose fault do you think it is for someone who disappeared for over a century?" Urahara playfully accused her, happily using the guilty card on her. Akane suddenly felt alarmed, not prepared for the subject yet so she decided to change the topic.

"Where's Yoruichi?" She hesitantly asked, everyone hearing the nervousness in her voice. Urahara sensed it too, and he started to feel sorry for Akane. He then turned to Tessai, asking him to wake up Yoruichi as he left the room carrying Ururu and Jinta with him.

"You better prepare yourself Akane, if you only knew how furious she was when she found out that you disappeared and ran away without a word." He warned her and there was no trace of humor in his eyes. She only managed to gulp, knowing very well what was coming.

A minute of silence had passed and it finally broke when the atmosphere around them suddenly changed. Akane felt a deadly and intense reiatsu surround the whole place and she shivered as she sensed it slowly increasing. She closed her eyes, held both of hands tight and slowly breathed in and out, preparing her mind, soul and heart for what is about to come.

Her eyes snapped open when the door of the room broke into pieces, revealing a raging Shihouin Yoruichi.

"Oh my. I hope Tessai knows how to fix that." Urahara murmered as he frowned upon watching his beautiful door break apart. Akane didn't really hear him, for as soon as she saw Yoruichi, her breathing stopped. Yes, Yoruichi was mad, definitely and absolutely mad.

The intense reiatsu Yoruichi had was enough to immobilize a normal shinigami, and her golden eyes which now looked like raging fire only meant an excruciatingly painful death. And there was nothing Akane could do but sob in her mind for she knew she deserved it. She truly did.

"Yoruichi..." Akane said, looking at her with her eyes filled with apology and regret. But before she said one more word Yoruichi charged towards her, roughly grabbing her robe as she dragged her down to the basement training grounds.

Upon arriving at the basement, she didn't even have the chance to be astonished by the fact that there was a freakingly huge basement in this rundown store which was a replica to the one's they had in soul society. She didn't even had the chance to say anything because as soon as Yoruichi released her, the former captain started to attack her mercilessly while Akane just stood there, taking every punch, every kick, and every pain with no regret. She deserved it. She knew she did, and she knew that nothing can compensate that time she had left soul society, and the time she left her home and her friends just for the sake of satisfying her reckless decision.

"What the heck are you doing Akane? Fight with me! Hit me back! Isn't that why you ran away? It's to become stronger isn't it? Then prove to me what you acquired in exchange of leaving us! Prove to me that leaving us behind was worth it all!"

Yoruichi yelled at her, hitting her repeatedly and Akane heard the hurt and pain in Yoruichi's voice. She realized that each time Yoruichi hit her, it hurt her friend more and more as she looked at the unshed tears from her golden eyes. She also realized that each time her friend hits her, it was her body that trembles and not her own.

"Why did you think that you had to leave us just to be strong?" Yoruichi said to her, stopping all of her attacks and she pulled back wearing an expression that showed nothing but hurt and sorrow. What Akane saw was what pained her the most. She realized that she was the one who had hurt Yoruichi the most.

"I'm sorry Yoruichi, forgive me." Akane whispered as she embraced her. She felt tears run down her cheeks, for she now realized how selfish she was for only thinking of herself, and for seeing how much she hurt her friend, and the people who cared for her.

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><p>"Owner, who the heck was that lady just now?" Jinta couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer after everything he had witnessed. He was currently massaging his now untied wrists courtesy of Tessai as he fall into deep thought. There were only a few things that he knew about that woman based on his super amazing top-notch observation skills, and those are:<p>

One, she is a close friend of Tessai, Yoruichi-san and the Owner. In addition, she might have black mailed Tessai for him to respect her too much.

Two, she disappeared from Soul Society for a hundred years thus resulting to the crazy reactions of the equally crazy people to the sudden reappearance of a more crazy woman.

And Three, she's a brutal, hot-tempered, wild, tenacious, crazy, over-emotional, and ugly old hag.

Other than that, he knew nothing more and his curiosity really is killing him.

He, the Owner, Tessai, and Ururu were all gathered in the tea room. The Owner was sitting lazily with his fan on his hand, Ururu was busy preparing tea while Tessai was busy fixing the door that was murdered by Yoruichi. Speaking of the demon cat, she and the old hag were in the basement and were busy playing or whatever it is they were doing.

"Oi owner, would you just tell me who that old hag was?" Jinta asked once again before he goes mad from thinking to much. The owner looked at him as a mischievous idea passed through his mind.

"Very well then, if you want to know who she was that badly then I'll tell you for your curiosity's sake." Urahara covered his face with his fan, hiding a devious smirk plastered on his face. His eyes suddenly turned serious which caused Jinta to tremble. "But upon telling you, I expect that you will speak with no one about it and treat it with confidentiality. It is a secret that nobody must know because if you let it out, it may lead you and the people around you to death. And because I trust you enough, I am willing to share this secret with you. Understood?"

Urahara closed his fan, his face grave and serious and Jinta only managed to nod, preparing himself for the shocking secret he was about hear. The owner waved him to get closer then began to whisper something to his ear.

"That woman just now, was none other than. . . ." Jinta gulped at the owner's dramatic pause, his whole body shivering in anticipation. "She's none other than. . .

.

.

.

.

. . . . Aizen's Lover."

.

.

.

.

.

Jinta gasped, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open as he try to comprehend what he just heard.

"No way, no fucking way! Absolutely no fucking way!" He backed away, covering his ears as he tried to desperately forget what he just heard. Urahara placed his index finger on his lip, reminding him that it was a secret but actually he was just trying to stop himself from laughing hysterically.

_It all makes sense now! I finally understand everything! That's why she was just as evil as Aizen! And maybe that's why the world has gone mad! Oh no, don't tell me she has come to get revenge on the owner for killing her lover!_ By the time realization hit him, the door slid open revealing Yoruichi who was supporting a wounded Akane.

_I can't believe that she's Aizen's Lover!_ He shouted in his mind, suddenly freezing in fear and when the old hag looked at him, he felt his heart stop from beating.

"Jinta, would you please get the first aid kit?" The owner said, glancing at him with a knowing look that told him to keep it shut. And without answering, he sprinted out of the room in fear.

"WhAhAhAhAhAhAhAh!" Urahara collapsed on the floor, with his hands on his stomach as he began to laugh hysterically. "WhAhAhAhAh I can't believe he actually fell for that! WhAhAhAhAh!"

Everyone in the room stared at the cynical man, wondering how the hell was his sickness triggered and hoping that he would return to normality soon enough.

"Kisuke, tell me, have you gone mad?" Yoruichi asked him while Akane let out a chuckle. When his laughter finally subdued, he sat up and wiped the tears in his eyes. Jinta suddenly entered again, giving him the first aid kit with a very serious and worried look and quickly exiting the room causing Urahara to snort into fits of laughter once again.

"No, not yet, unfortunately." He breathed, finally starting to be composed. "So how's everything between the two of you?" He smiled upon seeing the two of them grinning at each other. Even without words he knew that all was well.

"So, what are you planning to do now Akane?" Kisuke asked as he sipped his tea. He noticed her expression change from a carefree smile to an anxious look. She winced as Tessai treated her wounds but he knew that the real cause was the pain in her heart.

"You see, Yoruichi had already told me all about the war with Aizen and how he had been sentenced just a week ago. Upon hearing what happened, I have a feeling that exactly during that same moment during the war, something bad had happened to my grandfather. I don't know how but it seemed as though I was feeling the same pain he was suffering from where I was. That was why I came rushing here hoping that you could tell me what exactly happened, and hoping that you would assure me that my grandfather is alright." Akane found it hard to speak and she knew she sounded desperate, wanting to hear only what she wanted and only what she hoped to hear.

Somehow she noticed from Yoruichi while she was telling her about the war that she had purposely evaded her questions about her grandfather, and that somehow she didn't say anything about him. The thought frightened her, and she prayed that everything she felt was just a mistake, and that Yamamoto Genryuusai was safe and alive.

Yoruichi and Urahara looked at each other, silently communicating and deciding how to tell her what happened. In the end, it was Yoruichi who spoke.

"The Captain Commander had actually planned from the start on killing Aizen even if it means taking his own life as well and during the war, your Grandfather used a sacrificial spell, the forbidden Hadou Number 96, Single Blade Cremation which required the use his very own body as a catalyst." Yoruichi silently said, looking at the expressionless face of Akane. She saw Akane's hand shiver, and she brought both her hands to cover her face as she continued to listen.

"I suggest you go to Seireitei Akane. I'm afraid he's not in good shape and I believe you are needed by his side more than anything right now." Urahara gently patted Akane's back, definitely not desiring to see her so sad. He looked at Yoruichi and gave her a guilty look but she only sighed. Moments of silence have passed as they wait the response of Akane.

"Kisuke, will you please prepare the Senkai Gate?" They heard Akane say, her hands still covering her face.

Urahara smiled at her decision. "Of course."

* * *

><p>"Would you like me to come with you?" Yoruichi asked Akane, slightly worried about her. All of them were waiting at the underground training field as Tessai and Urahara prepared the portal.<p>

"Don't worry, I think I can handle it." _I hope.._ Akane smiled at Yoruichi, at the same time trying also to convince herself that she will be able to survive it.

"Yosh! The Senkai Gate is now open. You may now go Akane, and good luck." Urahara exclaimed along with his carefree attitude.

Akane looked through the gate and realized that beyond that side is the place that she left a hundred years ago. The place that held memories of pain, suffering and hurt and somehow she asked herself if she was truly prepared to return once again.

She looked at Yoruichi and Kisuke, and smiled that same smile she always had in the past. She gave them both a crushing hug, each arm wrapped around the two of them causing them to wince in pain.

"I'm sorry for everything, Yoruichi, Kisuke, and thank you." She whispered to both of them who both hugged her back.

"Don't mention it you stupid girl. Just don't go running off again next time." Yoruichi said playfully, smacking Akane's head at the process.

"Come back next time to play Akane, we'll be waiting. And I appreciate if you'll help out in the store when you return." Urahara mentioned humorously and Akane just laughed at him.

"Sure, sure."

She then came running next to Tessai, jumping in front of him in order to give him a hug. "I'm sorry too Tessai, and thanks for treating my wounds." She grinned at the tall man who bursted into tears while returning her crushing hug back.

Akane then turned to Ururu as she patted her head. "Ururu, I don't want to see Jinta bullying you again understood?" Ururu looked up to her and nodded, smiling at what she said. The woman looked around her seeing no sign of the hot-tempered boy who seemed to be afraid of her. "Oh, and please tell Jinta that I'll come visit him next time."

And with that, Yamamoto Akane bid everyone farewell as she stepped inside the Senkai Gate, returning to the place she once left and forgotten.

* * *

><p>"Yoruichi-san, I kind of feel bad for deceiving Akane. I think we exaggerated what happened to Yamamoto-soutaichou too much." Urahara Kisuke sulked as he watched his friend disappear from the Senkai Gate.<p>

"Tsk, don't worry about it Kisuke. She deserved it, and if we didn't twisted the story a little bit I bet she'll go back to where she was and disappear again for who knows how long. We did the right thing and what's best for her." Yoruichi reasoned out, crossing her arms and completely satisfied with what happened.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Jinta came rushing with a huge bat on his hand prepared for battle. "Where the heck is that old hag! I'll beat her up! I won't let her get revenge for her Aizen!"

The rest of them looked skeptically at the angry Jinta who was desperately looking for Akane.

"Oi Kisuke, what exactly did you do to Jinta?" Yoruichi asked Urahara with an accusatory tone, who was trying hard not to burst into hysterical laughter once again.

Urahara snorted, trying his best to speak. "On second thought, I think I feel a lot worse for deceiving Jinta-kun."

* * *

><p><em>AN: _

_Whew! That was a long chap and again, if you reached up to here, THANK YOU SO MUCH once again! I don't really get tired from thanking you guys again and again because I really do appreciate your time and effort in following my fanfic. Thank you and I hope I see you next chap! :D and also, if it's not to much of a bother please leave a review!_

_~lost_feather! yaaay! AHAHAHA I can't believe we have the same mind! I'm absolutely in love with byakuya and actually I can't wait to write the chapter with akane and byakuya in it! anyway, thank you for your reviews, a million thanks because they really motivate me to writing more of this fic. AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT! __ and also, I liked your idea about the zanpaktou and I will surely keep that in mind! thank you again lost_feather! :D _


	4. Unmasked

**DISCLAIMER: For the hundredth time, I told you I don't own Bleach!**

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><p><strong>Four. Unmasked<strong>

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><p>Inside the labs of the Twelfth Division, Rin Tsubokura glanced at the monitors surrounded in front of him that overview the living world's spiritual stability and the Senkai Gate. He saw nothing wrong or unusual whatsoever as he chewed his unlimited supply of candies.<p>

Things have started to become somewhat peaceful in Soul Society as well as in the Real World after the war ended and he really didn't see the point of constantly checking the monitors in front of him. After all, there was no more threat anymore after Aizen had been sentenced. Upon thinking that, his distressed eyes abruptly flickered at the sudden change on the monitor viewing the Senkai Gate. He thought he was imagining things because when he looked at it again, it showed nothing but the normal Gate. But somehow, he couldn't let go of the feeling that he saw something flicker for a second in that monitor so he decided to rewind it, proving what he had suspected.

The scene that caught his attention was too quick, only occurring at least half a second and if he hadn't been currently looking at the monitor a while ago, he probably would have missed it. He clicked pause and his already distressed face intensified even more as he saw an unknown shinigami flash step immediately after appearing at the gate. He looked closely at the monitor, trying to identify who it was but failed to do so because of the red scarf covering the shinigami's face.

"Uhmm, Akon-san, do you have any idea who this is?" He asked his fellow scientist who looked skeptically at the monitor.

Akon's eyes narrowed upon what he saw and thought that it mustn't be ignored but somehow behind the depths of his mind, he unconsciously knew who that Shinigami was.

"Maybe it's an intruder, we better report this just to be sure."

* * *

><p>Yamamoto Akane never felt so nervous in her life. She covered her face with her red scarf and as soon as she stepped out of the Senkai Gate, she immediately flashed stepped towards the Captain Commander's office.<p>

It was one thing to return to the place that brought back bad memories of sorrow and misery, and it was another seeing her Grandfather who despised her once again. She didn't know what frightened her more, was it the fact that she was starting to imagine her grandfather banishing her from his sight for the second time? Or was it the fact that she was starting see an image of Yamamoto Genryuusai, wounded, frail and immobile in his death bed?

Staring in front of the First Division Barracks, she was afraid of what she may expect. Moving further seemed so difficult for her, and with a last flash step towards the roof of the Captain Commander's office, she froze upon hearing the voice that haunted her all this time.

* * *

><p>Yamamoto Genryuusai's voice resounded throughout the First Division Barracks as he angrily scolded the three captains in front of him. "You fools! You lost your captain haori? It would be one thing if they have been torn, but what is the meaning of this? How can you just sit there looking unperturbed? I worry about you!"<p>

Zaraki, Kuchiki and Kyoraku remained calm and unaffected by the Captain Commander's outburst and exaggeration. They didn't even know why they needed to be here right now.

"Captain, do not worry, I can easily replace such a cheap haori." Kuchiki Byakuya bluntly stated like it was common sense, and seeing no reason at all to vex about something so trivial.

"That's not what I'm worried about! And those weren't cheap you fool!" Yamamoto retorted, enrage by the lack of reaction of the sixth division captain. The thought that these captains showed no regret at all irritated him. For him, it was not just a simple fabric, it was the haori that represents their status as captains. He stomped his wooden staff on the ground as he started to lecture the brats in front of him. "Listen up! Victory isn't all that matters in battle! Just what do you all think your Captain Haori are anyway?"

"A pain in the ass." Kenpachi said in boredom.

"Cheap." Byakuya coldly remarked.

"Stylish?" Shunsui goofily suggested while cocking his head at the side.

That was when Yamamoto Genryuusai finally snapped.

"YOU FOOLS!"

* * *

><p>Just outside Yamamoto-soutaichou's office, Ukitake, together with his two third seats Kiyone and Kotsubaki, sat beside the slightly opened door as they eavesdropped to what was happening inside. Ukitake carefreely smiled at the Captain-commander's energetic lecture while the other two flustered upon hearing his enraged voice.<p>

"The captain seems like he's doing well." Kotsubaki commented, slightly frightened at the outburst.

"Yeah…" Kiyone silently agreed.

"It's been ten days since the battle, he lost his left arm but I'm glad to see him in good spirits." Their captain softly mentioned, peeking at the door to see the old man so lively. But when he returned his gaze, his eyes contained sadness.

"There's not yet anyone in soul society who can take his place. . ." He said with a melancholic expression, knowing that if Yamamoto-soutaichou were to disappear, Gotei 13 will surely fall. He was after all the pillar that makes all of them rise up. He only hoped that the time the Captain Commander be changed wouldn't come so soon.

* * *

><p>Akane sat at the edge of the roof, carefully listening to the sound of her Grandfather's voice. Everything confused her, and she didn't know what to think or feel. She was surprised because what she was hearing was very very far from what she expected.<p>

She was kind of expecting Yamamoto Genryuusai gasping for each breath at each word he spoke yet there he was yelling, shouting and scolding the captains as if he was lecturing some children. She didn't really know whether she felt disappointed or relieved but one thing assured her, and that was knowing that her grandfather was doing well. Hearing his angry voice, instead of frightening her and traumatizing her from her past, it made her drop all of her worries, anxiousness and sadness that she felt before.

She never felt so relieved and relaxed as she listened to his lecture and she even found herself smiling at the silliness of their conversation. She thought how he hasn't changed at all, always taking everything so seriously when it comes to Soul Society, and always willing to sacrifice everything even his life just for it's sake. He didn't even show any mercy to the poor captains for losing their haoris. That was how loyal he was for his duty. That was who Yamamoto Genryuusai is.

Suddenly, irritation hit her as she realized that Yoruichi and Kisuke tricked her to coming here. They made it sound like her grandfather was grasping for his life and was currently battling against life and death! She made a mental note to kill them both for worrying her poor heart when she returns. But then she thought of the reason why they did that to her and she asked herself.

If she knew that her grandfather was alright, would she still be able to come her in Soul Society? Did she even really have the intention of returning to Seireitei if it hadn't been for knowing he was hurt?

Akane closed her eyes. She knew that if it hadn't been for that, she wouldn't be here right now. She was just not strong enough to make herself return. She just can't. Unfortunately for her, she still was not ready. And sadly, she realized the truth that she was still the weak girl who ran away from everything a long time ago. All the while she was fooling herself to something she was not.

She stood up and looked at the view of Soul Society in front of her. She just wasn't prepared to return after all this time. She didn't even have any idea when she would be ready, or if she ever will be.

"Sorry old man, I'm still a coward after all." She whispered to herself. "Just one last glance,"

". . .and I'm off to continuing my miserable life." She let herself fall, and by the time her feet gracefully touched the ground, she caught a glimpse of her grandfather through the slightly opened door.

She felt herself go numb from what she saw, realizing that what Yoruichi and Kisuke told her weren't all lies after all. She thought that the old man truly was stupid, for sacrificing his left arm all for the sake of his duty.

"Crazy old man." She mumbled, feeling utterly defeated. Suddenly, she heard a voice near her.

"Who are you?"

Akane froze in shock as she heard someone call to her. She wanted to kill herself for not noticing that there were people idling at the door. Again, she congratulated herself for picking the perfect time to be stupid. What's worse was that the voice sounded familiar, and when she looked towards the one who called her, her mind shouted one thing:

RUN.

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><p>Ukitake didn't know what to think when he saw an unknown shinigami suddenly appear in front of the door of the Captain-commander's office. She had her face covered and she seemed too focused to looking through the door. Ukitake observed that she did not notice the presence of him or his third seats at all. He didn't want to quickly consider her as an intruder so he thought it would be best if he would just ask.<p>

"Who are you?" He said, standing up and moving towards her. He saw the woman froze when he spoke, and as soon as their eyes met he noticed her hazel eyes widen in shock followed by her quick escape.

Akane didn't know where she was going. She only had one thing in her mind and that is to go far away from Jushiro. Her heart was beating so fast as she flash stepped at each roof she could find and then cursed when she sensed him following behind her back.

_Shit! How can I be so stupid and lucky at the same time? Of all the shinigamis here in Seireitei, why Jushiro? _She grieved in her mind, flash stepping as if her life depended on it. She may be skilled in shunpo, but she knew very well that Jushiro was faster than her. Now, she only hoped for the impossible.

Ukitake was trailing behind her, slowly decreasing their distance at each step but as soon as she was beyond his reach, his sickness hit him and he started to cough blood. They reached a meadow and Ukitake fell on his knees with his hand covering his mouth. He knew that he shouldn't have pushed himself too much.

Akane heard Jushiro cough behind her painfully and was alarmed when she sensed him come to a stop. She glanced behind her and saw him kneeling on the ground coughing blood. It hurt her seeing him like that, and suddenly she remembered in the past that he had always been sick, yet he continued to smile despite all of that.

Once again, Akane was trapped in a dilemma. She had no idea what to do and she hated it so much. Take the chance to escape? Or choose to be reckless and stupid and run towards him to help? But she already knew what she would do, and only cursed herself for thinking of leaving him behind.

Ukitake was shocked upon seeing the woman he was pursuing flash step towards him. She leaned down and looked at him with worried eyes as he tried to stop his coughing.

"Jushiro, are you alright?" He heard her say with her voice filled with concern, but what unsettled him the most was that he felt like he had heard that voice before, and that he had seen those same eyes a long time ago.

"Who exactly are you?" He asked as he searched her eyes. He knows her. He knows in his heart that he does. Then suddenly, unable to handle his curiosity anymore, his hand unconsciously moved on its own, as he gently pulled the woman's red scarf, revealing her worried face.

"Akane." He breathed, unable to speak in bewilderment. It shocked him to see her after a century of disappearance. She changed so much, yet so little, he thought as he looked at her face. And all he could think right now was that she had grown into a beautiful woman.

Suddenly he snapped from his thoughts when she heard her troubled voice. "Oi Jushiro, answer me please, are you alright? Shall I bring you to the Fourth Division?"

"No, no. I'm alright, really. This happens all the time. But wait, Akane-" He tried to talk but she stopped him mid-sentence.

"I'm glad you're okay." She softly said, giving a smile of relief. "But I'm sorry Jushiro, because I really need to escape away from you right now."

And with that, she suddenly flash stepped as she disappeared from his sight, leaving the perplexed captain behind. The captain didn't move from where he was for a moment, and then suddenly his eyes caught something in his hand.

She forgot her scarf.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello peeps! Again, again, again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you reached up to here. Thank you so much and I hope I'll see you next chap :D And if you liked it please review. Knowing the fact that someone is reading and following my fanfic makes me want to love to write more and more :) and also, I would like to thank those who have reviewed and favorited this fanfic. Btw, if you have something to say, suggest or whatsoever, don't hesitate to ask away. Thank you thank you thank you! :D_

_P.S.: if you haven't noticed, I actually borrowed the lost haori scene from the manga. I really really love that scene and I could never get tired of that! XD next chap: intruder alert and hopefully I pray that I could make byakuya appear ahahah XD  
><em>

_~lost_feather: A million thanks again for your review! I'm really happy that you liked that previous chap, and I'm glad to know that you're following this fanfic. I really do love and thank you for that! And please don't hesitate to say what you think about the next chaps, if it's boring, slow, corny or whatever XD so that I would know and I could improve my writing ahahahha __ XD again, this time a billion thanks lost_feather! btw, help me! OMG I'm starting to think about akane and ukitake OMG OMG please remind me how much you and I love byakuya before my next chapters betrays me! AHAHHAHA XD_


	5. Seized

**DISCLAIMER: Bleach. . . . Oh how do I not own thee ;(**

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><p><strong>Five. Seized<strong>

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><p>Yamamoto Akane had proven herself a lost shinigami.<p>

Really. A really, really lost shinigami. She truly was lost, mentally and literally lost.

She stopped on her tracks, her mind suddenly becoming blank upon realizing that Ukitake Jushiro had just discovered her returning to Soul Society. She frowned at herself, wanting so sulk like a child because now her plans had been ruined. She just wanted to leave Soul Society peacefully without anyone seeing her, as if she hadn't even returned. But now that Jushiro saw her, she knew that he wouldn't let her go that easily.

She needed to get out of here right now, out of this damn Seireitei before she's caught. She searched her mind for any options for an easy escape, but nothing came about. It was impossible to use kido teleportation spells to open a portal, because the whole Seireitei was surrounded by the barrier, therefore leaving the Senkai Gate as the only path to get out of there.

_Then Senkai Gate it is._ She thought, having no other options at all. She was about to race towards the gate like a cheetah when all of the sudden she came to a halt, discovering that she had no idea where she was or where she was going.

She truly was the lost shinigami. A really, really lost one.

* * *

><p>The Thirteenth Division Captain couldn't process what had just happened in his mind. He really couldn't believe it and thought that maybe he was just daydreaming but the red scarf in his hand assured him that it was all real. All he wanted to do right now is to catch her before she disappears again.<p>

However, before he even moved, a hell butterfly flew upon him, informing him of the emergency meeting that the Captain-commander ordered. He was trapped between chasing after her and attending the meeting, but his gut told him to do his duty first before anything else. And, as he proceeded to the assembly hall, he only hoped that Akane was still there, inside the walls of Seireitei.

With the captains assembled, all of them knew that they had the same thing in mind. The captains speculated what could be the reason for the Captain-commander to call an emergency meeting. The war just recently ended, and just thinking of the possibility of another problem arriving only brought nothing but stress to them. And as soon as Yamamoto Genryuusai appeared in front, all of them composed themselves, silently wishing for things not to come to its worst.

The Captain-commander took his position as his grave voice surrounded the hall. "The war has been ended, but that is not a reason for the Gotei Thirteen to relax and release themselves from their duty and obligation. Apparently, I have just received a report from the Division Twelve that an intruder has been sighted appearing at the Senkai Gate. It seems that the infiltrator is also a shinigami therefore I command all squads to report anyone who seems suspicious. Furthermore, I shall designate the task of seizing the intruder to the Second Division Stealth Force. Any objections?"

Silence intervened throughout the room but suddenly one of the captains spoke.

"Yamamoto-soutaichou, I can assure you with all my might that that individual is not an intruder. Squad twelve might have mistaken because of the shinigami's suspicious appearance. I can attest to that because I personally encountered that person a while ago. Other than that I have nothing more to say except to request for the closure of this matter and I am willing to take responsibility for anything involving this issue." Ukitake said in such assurance, with a serious expression that only asked for the Captain-commander's trust.

The other captains stared at him, not understanding a word of it at all. Even his bestfriend, Kyoraku Shunsui, was confused at his sudden action. The only thing that they could do was to anticipate Yamamoto-soutaichou's reaction.

Even if the captain-commander did treated Ukitake like his very own son, he would have smacked the boy's head for saying such a preposterous thing. It was an absurd thing to do but he had known Jushiro for a long time and thought that there must be something behind it for him to do such a thing. He opened one of his eyes to gaze at the squad thirteen's captain, seeing a grave expression on his face. All of the sudden, both of his eyes fully opened upon seeing the red scarf he was holding.

That scarf made everything clear, and he finally understood all of it.

"Very well then." The captain commander said, marking the end of the meeting.

* * *

><p>Before the other captains could even ask Ukitake of what that was all about, he hurriedly grabbed Kyoraku with him and rushed out of the room. With a single flash step, Kyoraku found himself in front of the Senkai Gate, and he had no idea why.<p>

"Oi Jushiro, would you please explain to me why were here right now? I'm starting to feel really stupid not knowing anything." He asked with a tinge of humor in his voice while Ukitake looked around his surroundings, as if he was searching for something.

"She's still here. I can sense her reiatsu somewhere within Seireitei. We have to find her Shun." Jushiro was sure that she was still within these gates. After encountering her a while ago, he familiarized himself to her reiatsu. He focused intently as he tried to locate her but he failed to do so because she was suppressing her spirit power at the lowest possible state. He could barely even feel it right now.

Kyoraku watched his friend's serious face. _Who is he talking about? Did Jushiro had a girlfriend without me knowing?_ Kyoraku tried to snap away from his thoughts, thinking that now's not the right time for jokes especially when his friend is in such a grave state.

"Who's _'she'_? More details please Jushiro, feed me more details." He asked again, already tired of being puzzled.

"It's Akane." Ukitake said as he met his eyes. Kyoraku paused, stunned upon hearing the name he last heard a century ago. He only managed to give him a flabbergasted look.

"Akane? Yamamoto Akane? Old Man Yama's granddaughter? Impossible. It's just completely impossible." He asked incredulously, clearly not believing him.

"Shunsui, I'm serious. The squad twelve had even mistaken her for an intruder. I just saw her a while ago but she escaped away from me. She even left her scarf." Ukitake raised his hand, showing Kyoraku the cloth he was holding. "It seems like she didn't want anyone to know that she returned and I have a feeling that she's planning on disappearing again."

Shunsui had no choice but to believe him as he scratched his chin. "Seriously, that troublesome little girl. She's really taking this game of hide and seek too seriously. Can you detect where she is right now?"

"Sadly, no. She's hiding her reiatsu. I can hardly sense it." Ukitake sighed disappointingly.

Somehow, Shunsui managed to smirk at his friend's displeasure. He was starting to feel excited to see the little girl he last saw a long time ago and he knew that it was going to be fun. "Well, if we can't find her, we might just as well find the perfect time to ambush her."

* * *

><p><em>What the hell is up with Seireitei's walls? They all look the same wherever I go! What the heck is this, a stupid maze?<em> Akane exasperated in her mind, having the urge to shout throughout Seireitei.

She has been running and running and running for hours and she kept on seeing the very same gray, orange-roofed walls over and over again and it's honestly making her sick. She felt humiliated at herself for her lack of sense of direction which resulted to her being lost despite being a former resident of Seireitei. Unfortunately, she memorized only one place here in Seireitei and that was the First Division barracks which she could never forget whether she wanted to or not.

"Senkai Gate, I beg of you, just show yourself you stupid portal!" She grieved out loud, not being able to handle it anymore. She desperately needed to get out of here. Then all of the sudden her wish had been granted, and just like a sunset mirage, the Senkai Gate appeared in front of her making her burst into tears of joy.

_Just one last flash step, one final step, and I'm out of this world._ She thought as she dramatically wiped her tears. _Goodbye, damn walls of Seireitei. Goodbye, Jushiro. And goodbye, Grandfather._

Before taking her step, Akane unconsciously felt nostalgic. Here she was again, doing the same thing she did a hundred years ago. Here she was again, saying goodbye to everyone for the second time. Doesn't she ever get tired of it? She asked herself in dismay but then stopped herself immediately, before her heart wavers once again.

She forced her mind to forget that thought and told herself that she will have all the time to think about that later when she escapes from here. Finally, with one deep breath, she took her one last flash step on the grounds of Soul Society.

Well, that was she thought she did before a red light engulfed her, freezing her body in paralysis.

"Way of Binding Number Nine, Strike."

She heard a spell cast out of nowhere, making her lose all of her senses, except for her sense of hearing. Well even if she could still hear, it really wasn't any help at all because what she heard made her want to kill someone.

"Got'cha Akane-chaa~n!" Akane felt her world stop when she heard the voice she dreaded the most pass through her ears. "Aww, what a waste, she has her eyes closed! Hey Jushiro, Akane-chan can't move anymore, you can bind her now before she gets away!"

"I'm sorry Akane, we had to do this. Desperate times call for desperate measures." She recognized Jushiro's voice and she wanted to cry because now she was in absolute trouble. "Way of Binding Number Sixty-Three, Locking Bondage Stripes."

Even without seeing anything, she knew what that spell did to her. It was a high level binding spell that surrounds an energy rope locking her whole arms, causing her to almost be unable to move. After a second, she felt the previous paralysis spell shatter thus returning her to her senses.

She had her eyes closed, but somehow she didn't want to open it because she didn't want to see the two people who caught her. But having no other choice, she slowly opened her eyes and saw an utterly daunting sight.

"Akane-chaa~n! Did you miss me? You changed so much! I almost didn't recognize that it was Akane-chan who was running!" Shunsui exclaimed in front of her in an awfully annoying tone. Oh how much she wanted to punch that disturbing face right now.

"Shut up you perverted old man! Release me this instant!" Akane shrieked at the man in front of her and Shunsui feigned being hurt by her words.

"Ouch, Akane-chan, why are you calling me like that? Didn't you used to sweetly call me Shun-niisan when you were little?" He pouted at her like a sulking child.

Akane felt her eye twitch. It was true, she did call Shunsui and Jushiro like that before, but that was when she was still young! She was a freaking adult now for menos' sake! And obviously the two of them don't look like niisans to her anymore. She tried to imagining herself calling them niisan and truly it was absolutely awkward and not to mention disturbing.

"Very well then, Shun-OJII~san" She stressed as she gritted her teeth and Shunsui only managed to laugh at her. Before her eyes twitched again, she turned to the other man beside him, giving him the sad little puppy look. Ever since she was young, she knew that Ukitake can't resist whatever crazy demand she has when she's like this.

"Jushiro, please let me go." With her eyebrows scrunched, eyes glistening with unshed tears and her lower lip slightly pouted, she said with the most pitiful tone. She intensified it even more when she saw him slightly hesitate, but her face broke when Shunsui suddenly captured her in a crushing hug.

"You're so cute Akane-cha~n! You may fool Jushiro but that look doesn't work on me so give it up." Shunsui gave her a teasing look and suddenly she felt her feet go off the ground when he placed her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of flour.

"What the heck! Kyoraku bring me down!" Akane screeched, not being able to do anything but bang her head against Shunsui's back. "Jushiro, I beg you, please let me pass the Senkai Gate!" She tried to look at him, hoping that he would understand.

Ukitake was troubled, seeing her begging to be released. He didn't understand why she hated being in here in Seireitei so much and he didn't really want to make her feel this way. But he had no choice.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that Akane. We can't let you disappear again." Jushiro said in a firm voice. "I won't let you out of my sight."

Akane felt hopelessly crestfallen, realizing that they really have no intention whatsoever of letting her go. She sighed in despair as she closed her eyes.

"You should at least carry me like a princess you old pervert." She bitterly said behind Shunsui. She was just too tired of struggling between these two.

"I prefer not to hime-sama. You're kind of heavy." Kyoraku laughed while Akane responded by banging her head hard on his back. "Ouch! I was just kidding Akane-chan!"

And with that, she hopelessly let herself be taken to Squad Thirteen's barracks.

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><p><em>AN: Sorry sorry sorry for the late update guys, I actually promised myself to write one chapter a day but I had an appointment yesterday ;((( and I also want to apologize if this chap is kind of plain but I'll compensate next chap so stay tuned! Again, I thank you if you reached up to here. I also thank those who reviewed and favorited this fanfic and I love you for that! Please review and hope I'll see you next chap :D_

_~lost_feather: all I can say is I'M SO SORRY! Sorry for having a late update and sorry if the chap's kind of "eeekk!" and plain. I'm also sorry because still no Byakuya here! But this time I promise that next chap will be the meeting of Akane and Byakuya at LAST! Again, I really love you for following this fanfiction and I'll try to update soon for you :D A million thanks again lost_feather! :D _


	6. Tears

**DISCLAIMER: Bleach. . .Oh how do I not own thee ;( But at least I have Akane (:**

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><p><strong>Six. Tears<strong>

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><p>The Eighth Division Captain honestly didn't expect that the woman he saw rushing towards the Senkai Gate was the same girl he last saw a hundred years ago. Looking at her closely, he was surprised to see how much she has grown. From the little brat that she was before, she became a fine woman, but somehow he felt that there was something that was running deep from the depths of her eyes. What he saw from her were eyes filled with sadness and sorrow, and he wanted to know what in the world happened to her that caused her to make herself disappear.<p>

It was already nightfall when they arrived at Jushiro's place, and there they were, peacefully having tea just like what old friends do. Well except for Akane who had her arms locked and who was clearly not enjoying their reunion.

Jushiro and Shunsui were beside each other sitting across her and silently sipping their tea. When Jushiro placed her tea in front of her, Akane raised her eyebrow.

"Jushiro, I would like to sip my tea but unfortunately my arms are obviously BOUND." She sarcastically said with a glare. Ukitake only gave her an apologetic smile while Shunsui couldn't resist to chuckle at her tenacity.

"I would be glad to unbind you Akane but I'm afraid that we might go on a chase again." Jushiro said, closing his eyes upon sipping his tea. "Though I may take that spell off you if you promise me you won't ever escape."

Akane contemplated and hesitated. She can't promise him such a thing. She would rather have her arms bound forever than stay here in Seireitei.

"Tell me, why would I not escape? I have no reason to be here and it's not like I'm needed in this place. I don't have anything to do with Seireitei anymore. I already left everything a hundred years ago and it was a mistake returning here once again. I don't belong here. I never did." Akane tried to hide the pain in her voice as she looked down, not wanting them to see her face. But Jushiro and Shunsui clearly saw everything and they didn't know what caused her to think that way.

"Akane-chan, you know you really sound stupid. You did let everything go, but has it ever crossed your mind that they haven't? They are still holding on to you Akane-chan. And don't ever say that you never did belong here. You were born a shinigami, and most of all you were born a Yamamoto. I just want to know why you were so stupid to run away, especially from your old man." There was no humor in Shunsui's voice as he looked at the woman in front of him. He was clearly upset that she ran away, and concerned to why she was behaving like that. As he finished his sentence, both of them saw her cringe at the mention of her grandfather.

"Don't tell me. . . Is it all because of the Captain-commander why you left Seireitei?" Jushiro asked her, and when she met his eyes he knew that he had hit the mark.

"I was afraid. I was afraid that the time would come when my grandfather would realize that I don't deserve to be a Yamamoto. I was afraid to be banished because I have disappointed and disgraced him enough. So I simply took a step ahead of him and decided to leave. But I made the wrong decision after all, because as soon as he found out about it, he disowned me. He sealed the power I had in my blood as a Yamamoto, and before I even had the chance to leave, he himself banished me from his sight." Akane looked anywhere but at them, and she sounded like she wanted to laugh and cry.

"It is simply because I felt so weak that I decided to leave and I completely know how stupid it was. Now look at me, for a hundred years I did nothing but train non-stop and fight endlessly like a madman just to compensate to my sloth before. I thought that I was strong enough for gaining my own strength without the help of my grandfather. I thought that I could finally face him, now that I've changed. But as soon as I saw him, I didn't know why I wanted to run away again. I just couldn't, and I realized that maybe I haven't really changed at all. Maybe all this time I was fooling myself that I was strong but actually I'm just blinding myself from the truth that I'm still too weak. I shouldn't have returned. I shouldn't have." Akane knew she was on the verge of breaking down. She couldn't help it. It was the first time she was able to pour it all out into words. All of it was drowning her, and she wasn't able to take it anymore.

"I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I did everything I can do to be strong, but why is that my heart keeps telling me that I'm not?" She continued with her voice shaking from anger, hurt and sadness. She closed her eyes shut to trap the tears trying to escape but they were too much for her to handle. She cursed herself for being an emotional freak and cursed the idiots in front of her for seeing her so defenseless.

"Look what you did you stupid fools! You just made me cry!" Akane poured everything she felt and now she was crying so hard like a lost child. She wanted to cover her face and wipe her tears but cursed them for binding her arms. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want them to see her like this.

The two men were too shocked to react at her outburst, and when the waterworks finally arrived, they were dumbfounded for they completely didn't know what to do. They both looked at each others troubled faces knowing that both of them were panicking mentally. They needed to move right now, and they knew they needed to comfort her right this instant.

"This calls for sake." Shunsui said immediately as he rushed out of the room to get some alcohol while Jushiro moved beside Akane, offering his shoulder to cry on.

His left hand slipped on her cheeks while his other hand wiped the tears continuously falling from her eyes. She was sobbing like a child, and Jushiro fought the urge to smile at her. He thought how she looked adorable as he looked at her face, and he realized how she hasn't change at all, that she was still the crybaby he once knew before. He knew that Shunsui thought this too and was probably chuckling at Akane right now.

She allowed herself to cry on his shoulder as she watched her tears stain his white haori. She felt his arm wound around her, gently patting her back and soothing her away from all the pain that she has when suddenly she felt his shoulder shake a little.

"Jushiro stop laughing or I'll kill you." She sobbed with her head still on his shoulder.

"I'm not laughing." The captain immediately said, trying to fight the smile that was forming on his face.

"You're such a bad liar." Akane found her chuckling lightly as her tears finally subdued. She cherished the warmth and comfort she felt and thought how she missed her two nii-sans so much. She never felt so at peace the moment she released everything she had been hiding all this time.

"Sake's here Akane-cha~n! Trust me, this is exactly what you need right now." Shunsui exclaimed with a goofy grin as he entered the room with two bottles of alcohol in his hand. When he saw the scene in front of him, he realized that he just ruined the mood.

Akane released herself from Jushiro's embrace and she looked at him with her puffy eyes. "I promise I won't run away anymore, so please take this spell off me Jushiro. I could really use a drink right now." She said as she tried to smile with dry tears on her face.

Somehow he felt that she was more like promising to herself than to him. It seemed like she was vowing that she will never make herself leave once again. He only managed to smile at her as he released the spell.

"Bring it on Shunsui!" She shouted at the man in front of her who happily poured her a drink.

It truly was going to be an awfully long night.

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><p>Yamamoto Akane opened her eyes and found herself inside her inner world.<p>

She was lying on the grass, with a canopy of flame trees towering over her and covering the sun filled sky above her. Rays of sunlight escaped and kissed her eyes as she raised her arm like she was reaching for the sun.

It has always been like this in her inner world. Light enveloped everything and not a single darkness in sight. Flame trees surrounded her like beautiful fires dancing and swaying with the wind, and with the sun always shining above her, so close that she feels like she could almost reach it, giving her an endless day throughout an eternity.

She loved her inner world. There were no rains or storms, no darkness or chaos. Whenever she founds herself in this place, she always wished that she could stay here forever, dreaming inside this world and never waking up.

She continued gazing above her, cherishing the warmth of the sun as crimson flowers fall upon her like raindrops embracing her whole body. Suddenly she wondered why the flowers won't stop falling, realizing that if it doesn't stop then there won't be nothing left on the flame trees anymore. But no matter what she does, all of the flowers kept on letting go on its branches and continued falling on top of her, drowning her in a sea of crimson.

She tried to rise up, but failed when she realized that she couldn't move. She didn't know what was happening in her spiritual world. And she didn't know why she couldn't do anything about it. Suddenly a woman appeared above her, sitting on one of the branches of the flame trees with her golden eyes gazing down at her. Her golden robe patterned with crimson flame trees danced with the wind, while her long flaxen hair swayed and shined as it glistened under the sun.

"Amaterasu." She heard herself say to the woman above her.

She was her soul, her soul slayer and her power. Amaterasu was half of her being, and when Akane saw the melancholic expression on her face she felt the sadness that they shared, and it was agonizing.

"Akane, did you notice? The flame trees are withering." She said as her fingers caressed the tree beside her, as if it was the most fragile thing she had touched.

"Even the sun, did you notice? It isn't shining as bright as it was before anymore." She now looked heavenwards, and her golden eyes threatened tears to fall from her eyes.

"Yamamoto Akane, do you notice it? Your flame is wavering." She returned her gaze to the shinigami below her once again. This time her tears fell down with the flowers, glistening like diamonds under the sunlight.

"I hope that you would Akane, because once your flame perishes, everything in this world. . . will be swallowed by darkness." Amaterasu's tears kissed Akane's cheek, and her world began shattering, fully disappearing in front of her.

The moment Akane opened her eyes, tears immediately escaped and continuously poured as she felt the anguish that Amaterasu felt. Her hands wiped her tears and she found herself sitting on a meadow, with her zanpakutou resting on her lap. She just realized that she had now returned to Seireitei, and the fact that she hadn't known what was happening to her inner world until now ached her heart so much. She didn't know what was happening to her anymore.

"Good morning Akane-cha~n!" She breathed in a sob when she heard someone call out to her. She looked behind her and saw a waving Shunsui moving towards where she sat. The captain joined her as he took a seat beside her.

"What's so good in the morning you perverted old man? The only thing I feel from it is the headache your sake gave me." She greeted with the same grin that he has but only sarcastic as she tried to let herself forget the pain that she was currently feeling. She didn't want to trouble them anymore with her tears.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk don't be such a pessimist Akane-chan. And how many times would I tell you to call me Shun-niisan?" He lectured her with a pout that made her chuckle.

_It really doesn't suit him. The niisan, as well as that ridiculous pout._ She thought humorously, finally giving in to his request.

"Okay fine, Shun-OJII~san." She teased, but to her mistake, Shunsui's pout only worsened. "Fine, I give up. Just this once okay?"

"Shun. . . . nii~. . . .san." She struggled, or more like puked the following words while Shunsui gave her a goofy grin and a thumbs up, clearly satisfied with the effort, and absolutely loving the feeling of being young again.

"Did you finish your conversation with your zanpakutou?" He asked, seeing her sword resting on her lap. It was his first time seeing her zanpakutou since before she left she hadn't been actually using a sword. The sword had a red interlaced with gold handle and a golden sunburst shaped guard sheathed by a black scabbard.

Akane nodded at him, silently remembering what she saw inside her world. She frowned at the recent memory but Shunsui didn't seem to notice.

"Tell me about your zanpakutou Akane-chan. I want to know about it." He inquired with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Akane only sighed, and began talking.

"Her name is Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, therefore making my zanpakuto a fire-type sword. To put it simply, it burns things and produces fire." She finished lazily, wanting to close the subject immediately.

"Hmmm. . . It's pretty similar to Old Man Yama's isn't it? You are his grandchild!" Shunsui exclaimed as he placed a proud arm on her shoulder while Akane only cringed at the comparison.

_I knew this was coming._ She thought depressingly as she let out another deep and distressed sigh.

"Shun, that comparison is a total insult to the Captain commander's Ryujin Jakka. My flame is more like that of a firefly while that old man's fire is much and much more like a very very very huge and murderous wildfire swallowing a whole forest. Do you get it now?" She exaggerated, shivering at the same time as she saw an image of her grandfather's released zanpakuto in her mind. It was truly frightening and she knew she was damn right.

Shunsui only laughed at her explanation and pinched her cheeks hard. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you're right about Old Man Yama's but I told you not to be so pessimistic Akane-chan. That's the problem with you. You don't have any confidence within yourself or your power and you always believe that you're weak. Where's the cockiness that you once had before?"

"Ow! That hurt really hard you old pervert!" She complained, slapping his hand but when he threatened to pinch her cheeks again, she quickly recoiled. "I mean Shun-ojii-san. Sorry, sorry, honest mistake, Shun-ONII~san." She murmured bitterly while she rubbed her red cheeks.

Kyoraku couldn't help to chuckle at her stubbornness and he decided to stand up, grabbing her arm with him. "Stand up Akane-chan. Spar with me. I want to see how much you've grown."

The captain was a person who disliked fighting, but somehow he was curious enough to fight her just to see how much she had improved over the years.

Akane looked at him incredulously, thinking that he must be kidding but unfortunately he wasn't. She continued to sit down and scowl at the man towering over her. "I don't want to. I'm not in the mood and I got a feeling that you're only going to make fun of me." She sulked like a child who refused to go to church.

"Akane-chan, don't beat my level of laziness. I'm the king of that so don't steal my throne. Just stand up or I'm seriously going to throw you down that training field." Shunsui threatened with a glare as he tried to pull her up.

Akane searched his face to check if he was serious, and sadly he was. She then looked down at the training field and saw how rocky it was, thinking how much it would hurt if she was thrown down there. She finally gave up and let herself be pulled.

"Fine you perver~. Fine Shun-NII-san. But no releasing of shikai or bankai. Just plain combat. I'm not stupid enough to get killed so early and young. Okay?" She gravely scowled at him, but suddenly she realized what she had done.

She remembered how he was a master swordsmanship specialist and realized that even without those two releases she could be terribly hurt, or worse, killed which she does not hope. But before she could even take her acceptance back, Shunsui had already flash stepped them both down the field.

She watched in awe as she saw the captain in front of her unsheathe his pair of swords from his waist but then she gulped when she realized that he truly going to spar with her.

"Are you ready Akane-cha~n?" Shunsui asked, with both swords on his hands. Akane only sighed and gave a nod, hoping that she wouldn't be hurt too much by this perverted old man.

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><p>Ukitake Jushiro's eyes flickered open as rays of sunlight penetrated the room, waking him up to a new morning. He rose up and coughed, feeling the dryness of his throat and the headache that was hovering in his mind. He suddenly realized what happened last night, and with his hazy eyes he looked around him, only to see a table with cups and bottles of sake.<p>

He wondered where his companions are then smiled when he felt Akane's reiatsu close to Shunsui's. He was glad that she was still in Seireitei, and that she didn't attempt to sneak out and escape while the two of them were drunk. All of the sudden, the door of the room slammed open, revealing his two third seats bowing in front of him.

"Good morning Ukitake-taichou!" Kiyone and Kotsubaki greeted in chorus.

"Forgive me Taichou for not waking you up, you seemed to have been drinking last night and thought that you needed to rest more!" Kiyone apologized too wholeheartedly as if she had done a huge crime.

"No, Taichou! Forgive ME for not bringing you to your room last night for I thought that you preferred to be with your companions than be brought to your room!" Kotsubaki interjected, shoving Kiyone at the process as he apologized too earnestly.

"No taichou! Forgive me it was my fault!" Kiyone retorted, shoving Kotsubaki in return.

"Taichou don't listen to her! I'm to be blamed!" Kotsubaki replied with a glare beside him.

Ukitake laughed at the scene in front of him, already used to seeing their enthusiasm each and every morning. "No, it's okay really Kiyone, Kotsubaki. You don't need to worry about it. Do you know where Shunsui and the woman with him went?"

"They went to our division's training grounds Taichou!" Kotsubaki answered together with a smirk aimed at Kiyone for answering first.

"Ukitake-taichou, if it's alright, May I ask who that woman was? I don't seem to recognize her from any division at all." Kiyone asked with pure curiosity and her partner would have smacked her for asking a personal question if he wasn't just as curious as her about the matter.

Their captain paused for a while, thinking what he could possibly allow himself to say about her. "Her name is Akane, and she's an old friend of ours. She's been gone for so long and just recently returned, and I guess that's the reason why you aren't that familiar to her." He smiled at them, purposely excluding the fact that she's the captain commander's granddaughter. He didn't really want to lie to his subordinates and just chose to tell them half of the truth.

"Well I'll be visiting them for a while. I'll come back after I talk to them." He flash stepped to division thirteen's training grounds and he was welcomed by the sound of blades hitting and the labored breathing of Akane. He looked down on the field, seeing Shunsui and Akane sparring with each other, and it looked like Akane was the one having a difficult time. Ukitake thought that Shunsui was more like playing rather than battling with her and he could clearly see Akane's irritation toward it.

"Yo Jushiro! Morning!" Shunsui greeted, waiving one of his swords at him. Ukitake would have reluctantly waved back if Akane didn't intervene and flash stepped above him with her zanpakutou slicing the edge of his straw hat. He would have suffered a wound if he didn't dodge that immediately.

"Aw Akane-chan! You ruined my hat! Time out for a while, I don't want my fashionable appearance to be ruined." Shunsui remarked, flash stepping above the field and beside Jushiro as he took off his pink kimono and his now ruined straw hat.

"Jushiro please hold onto these for a while." He requested while Jushiro took it as he sat on the grass, continuing to be an audience to their sword practice.

"I doubt that's a sign that you're getting serious Shunsui, and also it's your fault for being distracted." Akane reasoned out with a frown when he returned in front of her.

He wasn't taking her seriously at all and she hated it. She continued to be offensive, successively attacking with her zanpakutou but she couldn't find any openings. He just kept on blocking all of her attempts and was not even bothering to counter attack.

Akane breathed out a frustrated sigh at the situation. Not one of her hits have reached Shunsui, and as she observed her opponent's fighting style everything turned out to be much more confusing. Dealing with two swords was a struggle enough. To make it worse she discovered that he was able to switch hands between two swords. Most of all, the strength of his attacks on each sword varies on each swing. His left hand could be stronger than his right but later he could switch it vice versa or balance the strength on both hands. Finally, she realized that a single zanpakutou would be difficult if fought against a pair of swords.

"You're a confusing man you old pervert!" She commented, grabbing her scabbard on the ground and holding its end on her left hand. Thinking too much is killing her, and she only had one option left in her mind and that was to gamble and be reckless. "If you can't take me seriously then the least I could do is do my best."

Shunsui watched her as she took her stance. He noticed the presence of her scabbard on her left hand, and assumed that she would use that for defense. She immediately flash stepped in front of him, and attacked with her right hand. He parried it easily with one of his swords, but he was surprised to find out that she replaced and used her scabbard on that attack.

Her zanpakutou unexpectedly thrust towards his body with her left hand and his free sword blocked the attack, locking both their arms and swords into place. But what shocked him the most was her use of hakuda, as her left foot stepped on his chest to elevate her whole body followed by a right which delivered a side kick on his head.

The moment her foot hit the side of his head, she immediately released her scabbard and zanpakutou from his blades as he flew away from her. She heard him crash on the wall, but knew that such a thing can't even scratch the pervert at all.

Clouds of dust appeared at the crash making it difficult to see but suddenly Shunsui appeared, walking and coughing towards her without a scratch or wound. "You're the confusing one Akane-chan. I'm actually very impressed. I didn't expect that you would use hakuda. Now you're one of the few people I know who use a mixture of zanjutsu and hakuda when fighting. Want to go for another round Akane-chan?" He said with a glint of renewed excitement in his eyes and it made her shiver.

"I'd rather not Shunsui, this time you might not go easy on me anymore and I may get killed." She said with fright as she flash stepped above them towards where Jushiro sat.

"That was a nice kick Akane." Jushiro commended, as she fell beside him. He had been observing their battle and though it was obvious that Shunsui had the upper hand, he was surprised and impressed to see her fight.

Her way of fighting was unorthodox, with one hand holding her zanpakutou and her other arm and legs used for hakuda or hand-to-hand combat. It was an intriguing and unconventional style and the way that she used her whole body as a weapon made her look like she was dancing her way to attack. Truly it was surprising, and he knew that it would be a struggle to battle an opponent who fights so erratically.

"It was only a lucky shot Jushiro. He was too stupid at the moment that I caught him off-guard." She answered him indifferently, lying on the grass as she closed her eyes. Sparring with someone like Shunsui tired her so much, physically and mentally. After a few seconds Kyoraku appeared beside them.

"Jushiro looked what Akane-chan did to my face! Her foot felt like steel!" Shunsui complained to his best friend who just laughed at him. Jushiro handed him his clothes and then offered Akane her scarf.

"You forgot this yesterday when you escaped away from me." He smiled at her. Akane looked at the red cloth before grabbing it and wrapping it around her neck.

"Sorry about that, and thanks." She said with an apologetic smile.

She couldn't believe that she forgot such an important thing, and she hated herself for it. It was the only gift that her grandfather gave her when she was young, and she treasured it so much that she didn't want to wear it for the fear of being ruined. When she left Soul Society, she never once removed it from her neck, for it served as the only connection she had with her old man. But now she couldn't believe herself for not noticing that it disappeared. She felt like she was finally drifting farther and farther away from her grandfather.

Akane only remained where she was, drowning in deep thought.

"Shunsui, Jushiro. . .Do you guys have any idea how to take this seal off me?" She said completely out of the blue, making the two of them stare at her with blank expressions.

"What made you ask all of the sudden Akane?" Jushiro looked down at her who was still lying on the grass with her eyes closed.

She rose up and stared out of nowhere with a confused expression. "I really don't know either. But I think I made up my mind. I decided that I'm going to meet with the Captain commander, but only after I find a way to take this seal off me. With the way that I am right now, I don't have any confidence or strength to face him."

"Why not go to Old Man Yama himself to remove it?" Shunsui suggested, knowing that the spell that the old man used to seal her powers wasn't an ordinary spell, and even he and Jushiro were unfamiliar with it.

"I don't want to ask anything from him. I'd rather kill myself." She whispered grimly, thinking that she would never want to use that final option. No one really knew about the spell expect for her grandfather. She even asked for the help of Tessai Tsukabishi, who was a former captain of the Kido Corps but even he had no idea how to remove such a complicated seal.

"Since that spell is anomalous, I guess the only option that's left is to search about it in the Great Spirit Library." Jushiro advised.

"That may be, but all the records that they have there are too many and general. I think it would be best if you search the records of the Kuchiki Family. By tradition, they had been assigned of compiling the history of Seireitei, and being a clan who is known to be Masters of Kido, I believe that all information of every spell discovered is written in their records." Shunsui preferred, remembering the time he sneaked inside the Kuchiki Manor to gather information.

Akane listened to him carefully, but as soon as she heard the name Kuchiki her eye suddenly twitched. The name brought her too much bitter memories as a child that it traumatized her. She looked at the two people beside her and gave them a questioning look. "When you said Kuchiki, did you mean that noble clan? May I know who the current head of the clan is?"

Her heartbeat hastened as she waited for the name she feared she would hear.

Jushiro looked at her, and was confused to why she was asking questions that he knew she already knows. "It's none other than Kuchiki Byakuya. Weren't you friends before when you were young?"

Akane didn't know how to react at what she'd heard. Be shocked that it was truly that royal brat who became head of the clan, or laugh at his assumption? Either way, she just chose to laugh which was the easiest thing to do right now.

"Ha! Friends? More like mortal enemies!" She retorted as she guffawed in annoyance. If they only knew how much the two of them cursed one another out of each of their lives. Jushiro and Shunsui only stared at her skeptically who was completely confused at her reaction.

"Well, it's not like I need to meet him or anything right? Because I am absolutely not planning of having our paths cross after a hundred years of peaceful living. I'll just sneak into their manor, read what I need to read, then out of his territory before we even share breathing the same air surrounding us." She smiled an angelic smile at them, satisfied with her plan, while Shunsui and Jushiro shared different reactions.

"That's right Akane-chan! We have the same mind! That's exactly what I did before." Shunsui enthusiastically grinned at her as he gave her a high five.

Jushiro on the other hand, didn't quite agree with their methods. "Akane, NO. I won't allow you to infiltrate the Kuchiki Manor like a thief. Don't follow Shunsui's example. You need to speak with Captain Kuchiki and politely ask for permission to use their records." He lectured firmly in a grave tone while Shunsui only chuckled.

"But—" She stuttered, her eyes widening in protest.

"No buts Akane." He finalized as he raised a dismissive hand.

"But Jushiroooo! I don't want to see him and I completely know that the feeling is mutual! Also I'm one hundred percent sure that he won't allow me to use their stupid records before I even have the chance to ask for it!" She grumbled like a child as her hands shook Jushiro's shoulder.

He only pinched both of her cheeks in return. "Akane, stop being immature. Kuchiki-taichou is a sensible man and I'm sure that if you ask him civilly and politely, then he would grant you permission. So stop sulking."

She gave him a long frown. "Fine. I guess this leaves me no choice." She paused for awhile as she thought of other methods before looking at them intensely. "Do you think he's seducable?"

Kyoraku and Ukitake blankly stared at her, not being able to process her words. After a moment of silence, the two of them found themselves bursting into fits of hysterical laughter.

"WhAhAhAhAhA! You can't be serious Akane-chan! WhAhAhAhAhA! Well anyway, good luck with that. Really, may luck be with you. WhAhAhAhAhA!" Shunsui guffawed madly, his body tumbling on the grass.

Akane furiously glared at them, her anger slowly bottling up and her nerves popping at each second.

"I'm sorry Akane, We just didn't expect you to say something like that. We thought you were kidding." Jushiro looked at her, still slightly chuckling as he hoped for peace but Shunsui's continuous laughter only made things worse.

That was when Yamamoto Akane finally snapped.

"YOU FOOLS!" She stood up and stormed her way out away from them, but after a moment she forgot something which made her return to where they were.

"I forgot something you stupid fool." She said through gritted teeth, glaring daggers at the man lying beneath her.

Shunsui looked up at her, unable to stop himself from laughing with his eyes filled with tears of joy when suddenly she kicked his stomach hard making him choke his laughter.

"Ow! Why only me Akane-chan? Jushiro laughed too didn't he?" He groaned in pain as she stormed out once again. This time it was Ukitake who was laughing at him.

"Ouch... Her foot truly hurts like steel." Shunsui complained as he sat up to rub his stomach. "It's so unfair! Why is she only angry with me Jushiro?" He whined at his best friend.

Ukitake only shrugged his shoulders, chuckling at the turn of events. "She awfully sounded like Yamamoto-soutaichou just now don't you think?"

Shunsui realized it too and once again he felt utterly abused. "I know. But I just don't know why I'm always a victim of their wrath!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: sorry for the late update and I thank the people who reached up to this chap! :D Also, many thanks to these people for favoriting this fanfic: **Thunder Claw03, narutofreak10, iluvdawind, Chantelle Cullen, Rochelle13, rivierlina and pip1309** and also many thanks to** narutofreak10** for reviewing and most of all manymanymany thanks to** lost_feather** for your constant reviews! THANK YOU GUYS! :D_

_~lost_feather: sorry about the late update and again I'm so sorry because still no byakuya I'm sorry I broke my promise =((( I thought the scene between byakuya and akane would reach up to here but the chapter turned out to be so long! I'm really sorry and I thank you a million thanks for your constant reviews and for you support :D THANKS SO MUCH lost_feather! and sorry again! :(_


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